Baby Turned Toddler

It is bittersweet to watch our precious baby boy make the transition to toddlerhood. It's hard to believe that William has been with us for 5 months already. In that time, he has grown so much. He has gone from a 7-month old baby that could barely sit up on his own to an energetic one year old who can walk around the house faster than we can get the baby gates put up. He has gone from crying and cooing a few sounds to nonstop chatter that includes about a dozen words and a handful of baby signs. When we picked William up, he was on formula only. He had tried rice cereal once and had never even seen baby food. Now, his favorite foods include bananas, spaghetti, bread, yogurt, wheat crackers, and ice cream.

William has definitely developed his little personality. He thinks that it is hilarious to throw his sippy cup on the floor when he is finished with it and he LOVES to share his food with the dog. Riemann's permanent spot during meal times is next to the high chair. He knows that his patience will be rewarded. William's curious nature has followed him into toddlerhood. He is fascinated by trees and plants. He loves to touch leaves and bark. He's not very fond of grass yet, but that may change in the future as he gets to spend more time outside. William continues to love books and music. The other day, he brought the same book to me 5 or 6 times to read to him. When he hears music that he likes, he claps his hands and smiles. He even tries to sing along with the lyrics. He adores the animals. He is about eye level with Riemann, our 65 pound half-lab, and loves to pet the kitties. He has gotten much better about gently patting the pets, instead of hitting them with his toys.

We visited my parents a couple of weeks ago. While we were there, William was able to play with his cousin, Justin, who is 2 1/2 months older than William. It was cute to watch them interact. At one point, I was feeding William a banana. I offered Justin a piece. He took one bite from it and then handed the rest to William. William took a bite and handed it back to Justin. The whole time, the two of them "talked" back and forth. I have no idea if they understood each other or not, but it was neat to watch none-the-less.